Stumpjumper 2018 FSR Comp – Rear Wheel Upgrade ?

The rear Freehub has failed on my Stumpjumper 2018 FSR Comp. It just came out (along with the Cassette). Rather than getting it fixed, would I be better off getting a better rear wheel ?

The rear wheel is a Roval Traverse 29er.  I believe the wheel uses the unreliable Hi Lo hubs which are well known for their high fail rates and I don’t think they’re user serviceable.

Specialized disc, alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, XD Compatible only

The wheel must be the same weight, I believe the Roval Traverse weighs just slightly under 1KG.

The bike is heavy enough at 31lb and I don’t want to be adding any more weight to it!

Get the retailer to fix it/replace it under warranty.

It was an online order from somewhere miles away so even if they agreed to fix it and I posted it off it wouldn’t get it fixed any time soon

Get a custom built wheel if it’s just one you need.

Don’t know what you budget is but if you go for a DT Swiss 350 or Hope rear hub then they should be reliable. I’m keen on DT Swiss rims and when I build my next wheel that’s what I’ll be using, but Spank / wtb / Stans all make decent rims. Just find a good local wheel builder is your best bet. Although I’d you want something quickly CRC can be good value.

First point of call would be where you got it from, failing that any local Specialized dealer should be able to help you even if there is a cost involved

We have some of those hubs and haven’t had any problems with them, along with running DT Swiss, Hope and the DT Roval hubs.

If you have difficulty in getting it sorted locally then ring Specialized UK, (020 8391 3500).They have always helped us in the past.

Even managed for them to get the forks on my S Works Enduro sorted at a French store when they packed in on an Alps trip a few years ago

Last resort for me would be buying a new wheel on a 2018 bike

 I believe the wheel uses the unreliable Hi Lo hubs which are well known for their high fail rates and I don’t think they’re user serviceable.

Not sure about failure rates, but you can get parts from a specialized dealer and (assuming it’s the same as my older version) they’re perfectly user serviceable – it is important to use a (19mm) cone spanner to remove/lock off the locknut on the NDS, as I discovered pulling it apart and damaging the axle a bit without – but on the good side the freehub comes with a new axle…

They’re pretty similar inside to a lot of other hubs out there, and whilst they’re certainly not the fanciest, and as far as I’m aware I can’t get an XD driver for it, I can’t see why they wouldn’t last reasonably well, particularly if you pull them apart and regrease the freehub from time to time. It’s just cartridge bearings apart from that so no hassles there.

Are you sure it’s broken OP.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Brand-new-Specialized-Formula-XD-Driver-Freehub-11-Speed-FH-535HA-/112431640817?_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1

This is how they often look from new. And if it’s a formula hub the drive side end cap does somtimes come undone on its own allowing the hub body to side off the axle with the cassette.

Spesh in the uk do sell hub bodies for most of the wheels they fit

It looks like the Spindle has snapped and the Freehub only has 2 Pauls instead of 3!

Some Pictures of the failure:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN197UCOII9lI-0g3sdi05hfuOSAKJvbBr-Gd3RIwI1nSX5d22t4fHXoyH1hFS-7g/photo/AF1QipPTwf6qIbAJnEBqQL0HZw7JhWJF8PQT29Ht8N3K?key=UkxHTC1iQWZvdktIRGxCc2dseE5pWmFlb2g3cmZR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN197UCOII9lI-0g3sdi05hfuOSAKJvbBr-Gd3RIwI1nSX5d22t4fHXoyH1hFS-7g/photo/AF1QipMXO1syHdhKhUrsLxeWI_5FYQeUV_1_5GFWNIyR?key=UkxHTC1iQWZvdktIRGxCc2dseE5pWmFlb2g3cmZR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN197UCOII9lI-0g3sdi05hfuOSAKJvbBr-Gd3RIwI1nSX5d22t4fHXoyH1hFS-7g/photo/AF1QipPYVVNzErCXTBJ28_lD6h3uZtkWOHwybFWe2leo?key=UkxHTC1iQWZvdktIRGxCc2dseE5pWmFlb2g3cmZR

Also forget to mention, it’s the 2017 Stumpjumper not the 2018! The Original Post said 2018 by mistake.

The Hope Tech Pro 4 looks like a good replacement.

Compatibility reduces other options. It’s a 12×148 through axle, XD Drive, 29er.

I’m thinking of getting the Hope Tech but not sure whether to get the XC or the Enduro.

The Specialized Roval Traverse rims have stood up well within that year I was riding them. I’ve done the Pennines, Peaks, Lakes, and  a few DH Days at Antur Stiniog,  and a weeks DH / All-Mountain in Malaga, Spain. The Roval Traverse was Okay on all of that. It wasn’t 100% true at the end but it wasn’t badly buckled.

I could get the Hope Tech Enduro rear wheel but it is heavier. 200g heavier than what I’ve got now. I do a lot of climbing, the uplift holidays in Wales and Spain are in the minority, the majority of the time I have to ride up the hills. 1000m-1500m of climbing per ride typically.

Might just be the axle that you have snapped but had to tell without seeing all the other bits. Can’t help with the missing paw.

Do DT Swiss not make a 29er / xd / 142 wheel? Generally stronger than the Hope wheels from anecdotal feedback on here. Or get a custom build on a Hope hub with a DT rim.

What was the shop’s or Specialized UK’s response to the warranty on it. As above this would be my first port of call. Unless I wanted some new wheels.

Did you say that’s an XD driver?

I’m interested as may want to put one on my older stumpjumper at some point, looks to be the same basic hub design. If I ask for that at my local dealer they’ll sort me I’m sure.

Anyway, I’d just get a new axle and freehub from a specialized dealer, under warranty if you can persuade them that’s a warranty job (a bit of wiggle room for them is if you’ve not touched the freehub since purchase and one pawl has failed, and you’ve ignored it, it will put extra bending through the axle, which will have contributed to the failure – but on my similar hub it comes with the axle and freehub together so if the freehub is warrantied it might not matter.)